Oil burner



OIL BURNER Filed Oct. 29, 1955 2/\ gli 260\ /5\ A 176/\ "Il V T111"Patented Oct. 1U, 1939 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE on. BURNER Rex E.MoulerDetroit, Mich. Application october 29,1935, serial No. 47,304

3 claims. (ci. 15s-4) or coke in the cup because-of .excessive heat'.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burner having anair supply means of such construction and so' arranged that it willdeliver at a low velocity the necessary amount of air for emcientcombustion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burner of suchconstruction and arrangement of partsas to create eiective andconcentrated' air turbulence immediately above the air inlet,A

thereby producing a lazy flame without the dangerof having the flamesnuied out or extinguished while in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burner in which thecombustion'is gradu-- ated so that detonation noises are reduced to aminimum.

Another object of the invention is to create a4 new type of flamepartially formed by the projection 'of liquid fuel to a llamepropagating zone, and then completed to a dome shape-by gasiicaf,

tionl of the projected liquid fuel and the supply of combustionsupporting oxygen in a central turbulent swirl.

Withtheforegoing and other objects in view:

it willbe seen that my invention consists of various novel. features ofconstruction, as well as the novel combination and arrangement of partswhich are more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application: Y

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my invention setvin a furnacehearth, partly broken away. l

Figure 21s a top plan view of the oil burner embodying my invention, onthe line ,Z4-lof Fig- ,lure 1.

- Figure 3 is atop plan view of the oil burner embodying my invention,on the line 3 3 of Zilgure1." l 5. It must be explained that themechanical parts of the invention as hereinafter described will allV 'bequite simple in construction. and even the general arrangement mayappear quite ordinary;

and for'thissreason I want tcl-emphasize the essential andimportant'features of nove1ty.`

I think it is generally recognized that oil burners of the domestic typeare of four classes. First, the gun type which simply projects a mixtureof oil and air from a nozzle into a combustion chamber,'(generally'pot-like and of refractory 5 material) wherein the mixture of oil andair is broken up by impingement to a degree that will supportcombustionv but quite susceptible to carbonization or smoke due topartially burned oil globules. Second, the. ring type wherein the -l0oil is whirled around at high speed with air at high velocity in anattempt more completely to distribute the combustible particles over alarge ring-shaped area but still with a forced impingement and burningcausing sporadic combustion 1 with resultant carbonization and smoke dueto incomplete' gasification of the oil. Third; the

-fdisc type of burner, in which the ,fuel oil is fed `to a rotating discor' spread over an area to minutely atomize the oil and againmechanically 20 mix the same with the air for supporting combustion; butthis type is also susceptible to reactive flame propagation causingexplosive burning of. the fuel oil and resultant noise, andcarbonization and overheating of the distributing Adisc. 25 The fourthtype of burner is the generative" type wherein the oil is fed throughfiltering material such as an asbestos wick used in some'kerosenestoves. This type, however, has the disadvantage that it requires aconsiderable time to 30 change from a low to a high iire or flame, andthe air during such change is quite out of proportion and excessive.This type is silent as the air cannot be forced to co-mingle with fuelfaster than the fuel gasiiies. 35

In the present invention'I want to point out particularly that the fueloil is' delivered to an outer zone and ignited electrically or by apilot light, with a minimum quantity of -air-to support i combustion andused to gasfy the fuel oil quickly; 40

then the flame is supported by a centralv core or heart-oi turbulent airto complete a perfect dome of Bunsen type lazy blue name without smokedue to-unburned particles of fuel. and without noise;V In other words,the ilame is truly the 45V Bunsen type-flame. l v y.

I believe I am the rst to produce a Bunsenf type flame overacomparatively large area'such asv required -in a domestic 'oil burner,and with a circle or corona of generating-flame to enclose a 50dome-shaped, blue-white Bunsenv'type-,ame without noise or soot, lwitha,=wide rangeI oiad-` justment and with a maximum of emciency asdetermined by stackgas analysis. v

f. Referring now morespeciilcally yto the drawing, 55

f forming a hearth |1.

y by fa burner plate It.' which may be built in of sectional tile ormadebf cast-iron sections, just 'so it is formed'clrcular an'd rests on'the support ing 'hearth I1 and the supporting ring- II. A

oriiices into which are set three supporting' posts I4 made adjustableas by the lthreaded feet -Il to support and level the ring I II in thecenter of the combustion chamber hearthY which is-built in t theapproximate area ,usually occupied 4 by' the fire-.gratesby restingasheet-metal plate Ii on the outer ledge II, said. plate extendinglaterallyl to the iire-box wa1l I3,v of .thefurnace and being covered ontop by a facing of refractory material It must be understood that thehearth may be -of any' shape and approximate dimensions, just so -itc'overs the space betweenl the supporting 'ring III and the' furnaceside walls,l and separates the customary ash-pit from the fire-box orchain#` ber, and the ash-pit opening (not shown) allows free entrance ofair to the space underneath the I hearth.

wana 'health lr are anished hiep In'the drawing this platefis showncastin suitable sections with the central opening I9 around adependingflange 20 restinfg o n the ledge I2 of the supporting ring and extendinghat and laterally to the circular outer-upstanding border flange 2|;defining the diameter of the ame and forming wh'atmay aptly be termed a`corral for the liquid fuel andresultant gas generation'and hamer-HImmediately inslde the border flange 21 the -ilame plate is formedwith'a trough 22 and n- 'gers'v23 projecting Aupwardly from the'bed ofthe trough' `to assist'in gasifyirig the'fuel oil -feci tothe'tr'ough`ias..hereinafter described, 1 The centrai opening throughthe supporting ring' IU and the burner plate I8 is provided with a pairof damper. plates 2.4, each' having 'a central opening 25 and hit andmiss' openings. whereby they may be rotated one in relation tothe other.to vthrottle or control the amount of air passing therethrough.. Thedamper plates 2| are shown in the drawing supported on the ledge I2,but-it elsewhere in the central opening.` l So farI have described thestationary Yparts proper which really form the hearth of the'fur'. naceand from which are .zdoated the -rotating parts including,as'hereinafter described, an electric motor that might develop anymechanical vibration to' resound or be transmitted through thestationary 'parts having direct connection with the furnace.

The rotating parts of my invention are fully l iloated and resilientlysupported on a sheet-metal -plate 2l fastened by adjustable screws 23 tothe hearth ring-I0. 4The plate 21 has thecentral opening 28 around whicha rubberV 'ring 2Q is fastened as by' screws 3l .land this" rubberring'inturn is secured -t'o a motor 3i around the bearing at one en`d ias`by screws 33|, whereby the 1 motor is suspended vertically and in thecenter or thejennreassembly, with the shaft ,n ex-l tending upwardlythrough they central opening in the supporting ring I3. ,Electricwires-as indicated Qat 3I'I are of course provided and4 con! andstarting the ai; required'.

ammi fuel "oil distributing means, "which` motor, fuel oil andpilotlight, The motorshaft 32; car-riesfat its end-- constitute sonne,of the salient features of my invention. That is, they are vespeciallyconstructed to produceanoveLform of oil -and air .distribuf tion and theresultant deine-shaped4 Bunsen" type iiame.

'inverted fuel, cup, frustro-conical vin shape, the

smaller end of the cone. Atthe lower edgeof `the cone the cup isturned'inward and upward to-fo'rm' a trough 38. 'Ihe,closed rend wallpo'rbottom 35,- of the cup has 4centrally secured thereto a -nut 36,'bymeans-'ofwhich the fuel may -be screwed 'upon thel supplying deviceshaft 32. l

The 'fuel oil cup Ysaid, plate is ,turned down at 4 0.

The' oli cup 31 is supplied with'fuel oil by a goosel-neck tube 4I'supported .by and eat'nding upwardly from the motor casing,and connectedto 'afuel oil v,supply 'and' a control valve (not, rshown), whereby' oilis fed into the trough 38 -oi? the fuel oil cup each period the rnotoris running; and from the. trough 38 the fuel oilv will be carried bycentrifugal force up the side wall' 13| riveted or otherwis'e 'radiallysecured Aontl'ie wall A,3.i of the fuel cup, -and carrying at' their.

upper edges a sheet metal cowling plate.or dis'c 33, to which also thefan blades are radially se- -cured by riveting or otherwise The bladesare open' and unconnected except bythe Cowling ,The [fuel supplying'deviceai consists of 'an sidel of the cup extending downward Y.to the y31 has at its divergent upper .Y end two distri buting tubes 39extending from the disc 35'to.the outer edge of the plate 33 where.

plate 33. Plate 33 has aA central opening 303,

which vpei-mits -air to' pass directly to' its upper face, and, therebyavoidundue .fall of. pressure in that region.

'The plate 33,is rather widely spaced above the hearth-I1,- softhat the'flowof-air between the said plate and the hearthfs practicallyunob- 4structed, there being'no barrier other than a will be understood thatthey may be SUPDOrted 1 p33. which serves to stiften the sameamd affordin' place the ends of fuel' narrow ange or bead'around .the edgeof'plate means .for securing pipes-3th n The damper pistes :u hertof'remationen,

serve to -control the flow of air into the'furnacev.

in such 'manner as to avoid building up undue pressure andfvel' ity ofair in :thecornbustion chamber.

'project the ou rrp' the peripheral ring without atomization of theoil'and yet to impart. to the aironl'y-a low velocity, whereby a gentlelturbu' lence is produced the'fair. .i

'-' As' the bm isa' Bunsen type, it'is preferably usedwithan on and olfcontrol, as aring-'65 -other igniting device, suchas that'shown at 4I,4

v'wherefa gas pilot is' arrangedto direct apllct.

to'ignite the -fuel oiiwhen first thrown thereon' 1 Fromthecnstrcnohshwh-nis pessime@ rotate the distributorwith 'sufficient'velocity to 7o A flame across a portion ofthe flame-bed 'trough nectedto suitable central switches fo'rxstop'ping immediately after the4motor` 3| operated to 's'upply fueloil and air, and ofco'urse in'normal.operation the fuel loll'v is' readily gafsiiicd a'sathel flame bedplate andtrough are .naturally quite hot from the previous fire and theheat stored about the entire furnace structure. y It must be emphasizedthat the flame resulting from the apparatus just described isexceptional in character insofar as its eiliciency and the efect uponthe operating parts are concerned; and just as the thin sheet-metalparts of a Bunsen burner do not melt down' as compared with the heavycast-iron grate bars of a' coal-fired furnace, just so the ow of airpast the rotating parts of the burner as above described continuouslycool the same. In fact, the incoming air forms an effective insulatingbarrier between the dome-shaped arne of high heat intensity and theburner, and in this connection it must further be explained that, shouldthe central rotor or air distributing plate be formed With a regulationtype of fan or impeller blades (such as the well known type of Siroccofan) the operation of the burner would be defeated, as too severecombustion would be supported about the v ring of the flame bed plate,and the radient heat would excessively heat the rotor; whereas the airmerely flooding therefrom, with little or no pressure, protects the airdistributor or turbulator on al1 sides, just as the openings of a gasburner are protected, and the hot zone does not occur until the air andgasied yfuel oil combine in combustion in thedome-shaped surroundingarea.

The burner as described is one that will give` a quiet, blue, hoveringor lazy flame of maximum intensity with a minimum amount of air; and themotor isl not required to run at a high speed, just so it is suiiicientto distribute the fuel oil and turbulate the air around the flame plateto feed the amount of oxygen to support eilicient combustion.

The character of ame is quite dierent from a forced flame and resemblesclosely the flame emanating from a re of glowing coal without forceddraft, and the admission of too much air will disperse the cupola offlame and` create a noise. If an automatic stack damper is used with theburner, i. e., one that is weighted to lift automatically with anincreased draft proportioned to increase combustion and resultant heat,then the flow of air is practically stopped until the motor starts andsupplies the fuel and a comparatively small amount of air to start afull nre, which in turn automatically creates "a draft to augment thesupply of air.

,My invention is chiey directed to a controlled and definite namegenerating circle, wherein a fueloil is supplied about a ring andinitially ignited with suificient air to start combustion to supply heatfor gasifying the oil about the circle, and then continuing a supply ofair at low velocity and in a uniformly turbulent state to co-mingle withthe combustible gas emanating from the gasifying fuel oil.

In actual practice the comparatively lightweight sheet-metal airdistributor or (as I prefer to call it) turbulator will not beoverheated, and the under-hung motor with its rubber mounting will beimmune to the intense heat of the dome-shaped heat area of combustionthat is formed over the burner plate and circumscribed by the borderingfuel-catching trough.

In a' furnace where the fire-box is quite large it may be desirable tospread the combustion area, and this may be accomplished by supplyingmore fuel oil Vand also.more air as by auxiliary air ducts 260 spaced asdesired around the flame plate and controlled by shut-off dampers 26|,and the admission of air at these points will cause a spreading of theflame.

A flame may give a highly intensive heat at its impinging point, such asa blow-torch or an oxygen acetylene'flame when burning in the openatmosphere, but it is noisy and admittedly inefficient and impracticablefor general heating purposes; such forced explosive combustion createsnoise and denotes the accompanying inef- A iicient combustion i'nproportion to the gases burned.

It will therefore be understood that the present invention is novel anduseful in that it provides a means for quickly and eiciently projectingthe vaporizable fuel oil over a flame propagation area, and with thesame means it provides the necessary oxygen supplying air in a diffusingmanner and in a controlled and metered quantity to support combustion ina natural, gradual manner, resulting in a .highly efflcient ame withoutexcess air.

It is expected that minor modifications may be made in the partici .lararrangement of-oil and air supply means, though the oil supply means asshown absolutely prevents any coking or carbonizing of the oil, andlikewise obviates any clogging of oil pipes. In like manner otherdetails may obviously be changed without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

Y I claim:

1. In a furnace, a substantially horizontal hearth bounded by a circularupstanding border flange and provided with an air inlet opening arrangedcentrally thereof, a rotary member mounted for rotation in said openingabout a vertical axis comprising a centrifugal device discharging liquidfuel against said flange, means. -for creating a turbulencel of theinowing air above and around thecenter of the hearth comprising a fanhaving a small number of blades secured to said rotary member above theair inlet opening and a cowling plate supported thereon, and athrottling damper below said blades, whereby gentle turbulence and lowvelocity may be imparted to the inflowing air.

2l The combination according to claim 1, in which the rotary member ismounted on the shaft of an electric motor which is secured to a rubberring suitably supported below the-hearth,` whereby the motor and itsassociated moving parts are resiliently suspended below the heat zone ofthe furnace. o

3. In an oil burner, a combustion chamber having an air inlet in thebottom thereof, a motor mounting comprising a flexible heat insulatingmember spaced below said air inlet, and a motor drivenfuel and airdelivering unit suspended by said insulating member and having the motorbelow said member and shielded from radiant heat from said combustionchamber, whereby said motor is protected from both radiant and conductedheat from the combustion chamber and cooled by infiowing air.

REX E. MOULE. 'Il

